The present invention generally relates to a"CATERPILLAR" vehicle.
More particularly, it relates to a "CATERPILLAR" vehicle which has at least one endless, elastic belt track which is drivable by a drive gear, and the belt track, at least locally, has an inner surface with which it engages a substantially cylindrical peripheral surface of the drive gear.
In the "CATERPILLAR"vehicle its traveling mechanism is composed of an endless, elastic belt track which is drivable by a drive gear, and its drive force is transmitted through the frictional connection between the drive gear and the inner side of the endless, elastic belt track. Such "CATERPILLAR" vehicles are disclosed in several patents. As an example, European Patent Document EP 0 165 245 discloses one of such "CATERPILLAR" vehicles.
A specific problem of the drive system which transmits the drive force through the frictional connection between the drive gear and the belt track is that, under unfavorable conditions it is necessary to maintain the slippage as low as possible. In European Patent Document EP 0 165 245 sit has been proposed to limit the slippage potential by maintaining the corresponding quality of the inner side of the belt track. European Patent Document 0 512 467 proposes a special design of the outer peripheral surface of the drive gear to reduce the dirt and thereby the slippage potential between the drive gear and the belt track. The proposed means however can not guarantee reliable operation of the drive without slippage in all cases of applications of the "CATERPILLAR" vehicle. In order to reduce the slippage it is also possible to increase the tension of the belt track. However, an increased tension of the belt track has a disadvantage that it results in increased wear. It is further known to transfer the drive force by means of the toothed elements of the drive gear cooperating with the endless elastic belt track. An example of such solution is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,870,379. The disadvantage of such a toothed or form-locking force transmission is however that the belt track near the location at which the drive force is transmitted from the drive gear to the belt track is subjected to an excessive wear. The toothed means connected with the belt track rub on and off.